Wheat futures take big drop
CHICAGO {AP} Wheat futures were sharply lower Monday on the Chicago Board of Trade, while corn and soybeans both posted gains.

Ag finance reform gets tentative approval
AUSTIN The House voted 134-11 Monday to give tentative approval to a bill reforming the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority but not before urban lawmakers turned the debate into a forum on helping distressed inner city neighborhoods.

Economic cycles take new shape
NEW YORK (AP) After the great bull market of the 1990s on Wall Street, the way investors look at cycles in the U.S. economy will never be the same again.

Compaq chief executive Pfeiffer ousted after slump
HOUSTON (AP) Compaq Computer Corp. chief executive Eckhard Pfeiffer had been assuring associates that the company would rebound this year from first-quarter profits that will be only half expectations.

IMac flavors give Best Buy trouble
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) Some customers want blue, and some want green. But customers who head to Best Buy Co. stores looking for an iMac computer won't find any at all.

Starter Corp. files for bankruptcy
NEW HAVEN, Conn. Sports clothing manufacturer Starter Corp., which makes team logo jackets, jerseys and uniforms for major league teams, sought bankruptcy court protection from its creditors Monday.

Duty-free trade allowance divides NAFTA partners
WASHINGTON (AP) Mexico may have increased its cross-border duty-free allowances to meet U.S. levels but the gains are on paper only, Texas border business leaders complained Monday to congressional, Mexican and Clinton administration officials.

Compaq botched big plans
NEW YORK (AP) Compaq's chief executive, Eckhard Pfeiffer, told the world he would outdo himself.

New partners
DETROIT (AP) The No. 2 executive at General Motors Corp. hinted Monday that a new technology partnership between GM and Toyota Motor Corp. could lead to a broader linkup of the automakers.

Kevorkian's Waterloo?
WE ADMIT TO HAVING mixed feelings about the issue of physician-attempted suicide in general and about Dr. Jack Kevorkian in particular.

Germs Gaining On Us
MOST OF THE ANTIBIOTICS employed in agriculture are used to promote animal growth, not to cure disease. Consumers and producers alike benefit in the short run.

Take Ball, Go Home?
AFTER 15 MONTHS OF painstaking work, the commission charged with preserving and modernizing the Medicare system has little to show for its efforts.

The Reluctant Heroes
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS watched on live national television April 12 when firefighter Matt Mosely was lowered on a rope from a helicopter to a crane in Atlanta, Ga., where he rescued a construction worker who was trapped by a fire.

Mr. Gore's 1998 Taxes
THE PRESIDENT AND vice president have a policy of publicly releasing their income tax returns each year, which provides an up-front view of their finances.

Wage Gap Gets Wider
THE WAGE GAP BETWEEN CEOs and workers is 10 times wider today than it was in 1980. Back then, CEOs earned 42 times the pay of average workers. CEOs made 419 times the pay of workers in 1998. That's up from 326 in 1997.

Rock music sales slipping
Rock still rules the music market, but its dominance is dissipating, says a new survey from the Recording Industry Association of America.

Hinojosa shows off range of style
Tish Hinojosa noted in a recent Avalanche-Journal interview that, even when she began writing her own material, "I never wrote anything that could be mistaken for a vocal showcase like the songs that 'Titanic' girl (Celine Dion) sings."

Bar-B-Que Benefit
The local law enforcement agencies would like to invite the public to the 4th Annual Special Olympics Texas Bar-B-Que on Friday, April 30, 1999, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at White Knight's Limousine building located at 1413 Texas Ave.

Too Long To Wait
I recently went to see a doctor about an ear problem. My appointment was for 10:15 a.m. I walked out at 12:10 p.m. The largest portion of my time was spent in the waiting room to be called or in the exam room waiting for the doctor to show up. The bill was over $300.

Disheartening Scene
On my way to class this morning (4-8), I witnessed a most disheartening scene.

Paperwork Errors
I am the granddaughter of a 92-year-old woman. She suffers from numerous ailments. She has, up to the last few months, lived on her own at a mobile home park. We have made sure that her home was kept up. Last summer, due to an error, the mobile home park charged her a mowing fee that was not hers.

Stop Criticizing LPD
Re: Writers who have been criticizing the police officer who shot and killed the 15-year-old. Since you all know so much about police work, why don't you join the police department? I hear they are very short-handed.

No Economic Gain
The April 4, 1999, issue of The A-J contained an article that compared the impact of Social Security benefits on the Lubbock economy to that of an employer with a $260 million annual payroll. This is bad economic reasoning.

Alcohol Proceeds
I would like to thank A-J Business Editor Chris Van Wagenen for his "Death of a Message" article (A-J, 3-21).
The financial future of Lubbock is cause for concern. I had hoped to start some dialogue with my letter, "Running On Fumes" (A-J, 3-16), about the legalization of alcohol helping finance industrial immigration to the area.

College-Prep Mold?
"Wonderful!" "Your idea is so unique!" "I like your picture, it's like no one else's idea!" These words were overheard in an elementary classroom.

Secretaries Day luncheon slated
The Pilot Club of Lubbock will host its annual National Secretaries Day luncheon and style show from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Fifty Yard Line Restaurant, 2549 S. Loop 289.

Prom is chance to shine
As the end of April approaches, many students at the local high schools start looking forward to one thing prom. Prom has become an event characterizing the end of students' high school careers. This year is none less so than others.

After-prom activities limited
It's prom time 1999 and everyone is getting ready to celebrate at the last formal dance of their high school lives.

Prom fashion for men as well
Many times the male aspect of the prom is forgotten. Most people overlook the men's fashion, paying attention to the women's dresses.

Veteran honored
Medal of Honor recipient Louis R. Rocco, WO, was honored at a reception at the Lubbock VA Outpatient Clinic, 4902 34th St. on April 16.

A joyful noise
George Black, 83, has been singing the gospel since he was a young boy chopping cotton on long, hot summer days in Central and East Texas.

Agency seeking volunteer help
The local Grant Research and Development office of the Baptist General Convention of Texas is in need of a retired individual to work as a volunteer computer secretary for a Christian ministry program. The office helps writes grants to continue state ministries.

Publisher found early life full of hardworking, honest people
(EDITOR'S NOTE The following article appeared in the March 2, 1924, edition of the Lubbock Morning Avalanche as part of the "Early Days on the Plains" series and was written by James J. Dillard, founder of the newspaper. In this, the 12th installment of a 25-part series, he reflects on some of the pioneer farming families on the South Plains).
There are a number of old-timers who contributed their time, money and presence to the development of Lubbock and the adjoining counties, who endured the many hardships of the frontier. Among those who tilled the soil in the early 1890s was J.R. Shackleford, now past 83 years old, who emigrated from Anderson County to Parker County before the war between the states, Parker County being on the frontier.

Car show to help young wishes come true
Cars and sick children probably don't seem like a natural mix. But for two Lubbock groups, they're a perfect match when it comes to making dreams come true.

Groups using art to promote opportunities
For many people, the 21st annual Lubbock Arts Festival was more than just a chance to spend time outdoors with family. For them, there was a mission at hand.
Many non-profit organizations from around Lubbock took the opportunity to use the festival to draw attention to their organizations.

Coaches file $30 million federal suit
Two Virginia basketball coaches mistakenly arrested in Lubbock last year sued the city and University Medical Center on Monday, demanding $30 million and court supervision of the Police Department.
Lubbock police engaged in ''racially discriminatory and constitutionally deficient'' behavior during the arrests of Hampton University women's basketball coach Patricia Bibbs, her husband, Ezell, and assistant coach Vanetta Kelso, according to the federal lawsuit filed in Wichita Falls.

Tech receives 1576 copy of Magna Carta
A 1576 copy of the Magna Carta, designed for lawyers to carry into courtrooms, has recently been added to Texas Tech's rare book collection.
The Magna Carta, also referred to as the English Bill of Rights, ''is one of the primary documents in our society,'' said Bruce Cammack, Special Collections Library coordinator. ''This was the first time a king's power was written down.''

Hispanic culture week arrives in Hub City
Alexander Thyne hopes Hispanic Culture Awareness Week convinces parents and college-bound Lubbock students that there is a place for Hispanic students at Texas Tech.

Five jurors selected for Martinez trial
Five jurors have been selected through Monday in the capital murder trial of a Matt Martinez, a 24-year-old Lubbock man accused of killing his infant daughter last year.

Crime Wrap, April 19,1999
Blotter information is compiled from reports filed with the Lubbock Police Department. To report information about these or any other crimes, call Crime Line at 741-1000. In some cases, cash rewards are offered. Callers may remain anonymous.

Defense begins of alleged white supremacists
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. {AP} Two men accused of committing a murderous crime spree as part of a plot to set up a whites-only nation face a tough road as their defense opens this week.

Shifting winds feed Sunshine State fires
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. {AP} A fire fed by rapidly shifting wind burned out of control in the Everglades on Sunday, consuming 70,000 acres of dry marsh grass and creating clouds of smoke that darkened the Miami area.

Researcher finds a way to budge kids from sofa
WASHINGTON {AP} Parents may have a way to budge their chip-chomping, TV-watching kids from the family sofa: a bicycle hooked up electrically to the set. To see their favorite shows, couch potatoes have to pedal.

Teacher of year uses adventure in lessons
WASHINGTON {AP} Andrew Baumgartner, a kindergarten teacher from Georgia, comes up with just about anything to get the kids in his class to learn. He has served as host of a wedding for Sleeping Beauty, complete with limousine and cake, and a knighting ceremony for Jack after he killed the giant in the Beanstalk.

Meat price bill has support
WASHINGTON {AP} Two lawmakers predicted Monday that legislation requiring meatpackers to reveal the prices they pay will win passage in Congress this year.

U.S. to pursue any means to free POWs
WASHINGTON {AP} The United States will use "any reasonable means" to gain the release of three Army soldiers held by Yugoslavia as prisoners of war, Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said Monday.

Capsule waits another day
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. {AP} Hampered by a bad power switch aboard ship, an underwater salvage team on Sunday put off by one day its search for Gus Grissom's sunken space capsule.

Underground stations lured to legitimacy
LAS VEGAS {AP} For five years Stephen Dunifer was a radio pirate, pounding the airwaves in Berkeley, Calif., with garage rock music, political documentaries and programs by homeless people.

Clinton asks for $6 billion to fund Kosovo mission
WASHINGTON {AP} The United States sought NATO support Monday to block oil from reaching Yugoslavia by sea, as the Clinton administration asked Congress for $6 billion in emergency money for the Kosovo conflict. "There are literally lives hanging in the balance," President Clinton said.

Breast cancer test approved
WASHINGTON {AP} A device that uses electricity to map possible breast lumps may reduce the number of women who get unnecessary biopsies because their mammograms are unclear, the government said Monday.

Starr says investigations 'horrible' for Arkansas
WASHINGTON {AP} Prosecutor Kenneth Starr said Sunday the decision by a Little Rock, Ark., jury to acquit former Clinton business associate Susan McDougal may be linked to the "horrible" effects his investigations of President Clinton and the first lady have had on the state.

High court upholds law limiting e-mail smut
WASHINGTON {AP} A federal law aimed at limiting e-mail smut does not violate free-speech rights, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. That could be bad news for people who like to write dirty online and for the proprietors of "annoy.com."

Virginia Taylor
CLYDE (Special) Services for Virginia Louise Taylor, 70, of Clyde, will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at First Assembly of God Church with the Rev. Charles Morgan officiating.

S.L. Griffin
Services for S.L. "Roy" Griffin, 82, of Lubbock will be at 2 p.m. today in Monterey Baptist Church with the Rev. Jim Brown officiating.

Odulia Guzman
LOVINGTON, N.M. (Special) Mass for Odulia Vasquez Guzman, 44, of Odessa, Texas, will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Thomas Catholic Church with Father Franklin Eichhorst officiating. Rosary will be at 7 p.m. today at Bethany Funeral Home Chapel.

Wilton Bodkin
OLTON (Special) Graveside services for Wilton R. Bodkin, 82, of Olton will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Olton Cemetery with the Rev. Sam Estes of Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Lubbock officiating.

Carlton Latimer
LITTLEFIELD (Special) Services for Carlton Jasper Latimer, 83, of Littlefield will be at 11 a.m. today at Crescent Park Church of Christ with the Rev. Eric Dickey, pastor, officiating and Wilburn Dennis assisting.

Roxie Turner
DIMMITT (Special) Services for Roxie Turner, 96, of Dimmitt will be at 10 a.m. today in Lemons Funeral Home Memorial Chapel with Riley Turner of Lubbock officiating.

Velma Clay
DICKENS (Special) Services for Velma L. Clay, 78, of Dickens will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Dickens Baptist Church with the Rev. Robert Fields of Amarillo and the Rev. C.L. Atkinson of Afton officiating.

Odie Rohde
FRIONA (Special) Services for Odie Lee Rohde, 74, of Friona will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Friona with the Rev. Charles Broadhurst and the Rev. Wade Messer officiating.

Ett Evans
MULESHOE (Special) Graveside services for Ett W. Evans, 82, of Muleshoe will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Muleshoe Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. Brad Reeves of First United Methodist Church officiating.

Petronilla Birkenfeld
NAZARETH (Special) Services for Petronilla Birkenfeld, 82, of Nazareth will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Holy Family Catholic Church with the Rev. Jerry Stein, pastor, officiating.

James Ray
Services for James W. Ray, 80, of Lubbock will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Highland Baptist Church with the Rev. Stan Blevins, pastor, officiating.

William Guest
MESA, Ariz., (Special) Services for William Gabel Guest, 84, of Mesa, Ariz., were held April 2nd at Carr Tenny Mortuary in Temple, Ariz.

Sam Mellinger
Graveside services for Sam Mellinger, 76, of Lubbock will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Shearith Israel Cemetery in Dallas with the Rabbi Sidney Zimelman officiating.

Eldon Hambright
WINTERS (Special) Services for Eldon J. Hambright, 67, of Bedford will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Don Roath officiating.

Helen Bell
LEVELLAND (Special) Services for Helen Cooper Bell, 66, of Levelland were at 4 p.m. Monday at Cactus Drive Church of Christ with William Eudy, minister, and Bob Odell, elder, officiating.

Eugene Reynolds
Cremation services for Eugene Reynolds, 72, of Brooksville, Fla., are under the direction of Sanders Funeral Home.

Kate McLarty
LITTLEFIELD (Special) Services for Kate McLarty, 95, of El Paso will be at 10 a.m. today at the Hemphill Chapel in the First Baptist Church in Littlefield with the Rev. Charles Broadhurst, a retired minister, officiating.

Robert Pollard
Services for Robert Liston Pollard, 72, of Lubbock will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Matthew's Baptist Church with the Rev. Kenneth Lawrence officiating.

Cincinnati cuts QB O'Donnell after draft
CINCINNATI {AP} The Cincinnati Bengals released quarterback Neil O'Donnell on Monday, two days after they decided to go in another direction by drafting Akili Smith.

Roski won't stand in way of NFL deal
LOS ANGELES {AP} Ed Roski, who has led the drive to bring pro football back to the Los Angeles Coliseum, says he won't stand in the way of a league auction of an expansion team.

Morgan lifts Texas past Athletics 6-2
OAKLAND, Calif. {AP} Mike Morgan returned to the mound where he started it all 21 years ago as a high school phenom. He walked away with his best start in nine years.

NBA fines, suspends Miami's Askins
NEW YORK Keith Askins of the Miami Heat was fined $5,000 and suspended for one game by the NBA Monday for his actions in Sunday's game against Indiana.

Troubled Collins headed to Dolphins
NEW YORK {AP} Jimmy Johnson got his man Sunday: Cecil Collins, the troubled, talented running back from Louisiana. And the Miami Dolphins needed no more than the first choice of the NFL draft's fifth round to get him.

Trouble in Big Apple
DETROIT {AP} A team used to pounding opponents into oblivion suddenly can't hit, pitch or field. What's the deal with the New York Yankees?

Houston hits stride with St. Louis win
HOUSTON {AP} Now this is more like it.
The Houston Astros' offense that set club records with 102 victories and 874 runs scored last season had struggled this year until breaking out with a season-high 16 hits in Sunday's getaway day victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Talks between Jordan, Hornets gain momentum
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. The Charlotte Hornets ownership talks between Michael Jordan and George Shinn have gained momentum and are about to clear one of the major obstacles the decision-making process thought to be critical to their proposed 50-50 partnership, three NBA sources said.

Cowboys aim for speed, playmakers as draft ends
IRVING (AP) When the dust settled Sunday after the NFL draft and recent free-agent signings, Dallas Cowboys officials believed they had addressed the weaknesses that caused the team's failure in last season's playoffs.

Police seek suspect in Exxon robbery
CLOVIS, N.M. (Special) Police on Monday were looking for a man who used a handgun Saturday to rob an Exxon service station in the 1200 block of West 21st Street.

Families, survivors gather on bombing anniversary
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Rev. James J. Blassengill was driving by the Alfred P. Murrah federal building when it exploded four years ago. The blast destroyed his car, wrecked his body and scarred his psyche.
His problems persist he recently underwent surgery to remove gangrene that had developed around his stomach and intestines when glass bruised him inside and out.

A family affair
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Ted and Lou Ann Heers live in Muenster and introduced their young daughters to Texas Tech women's basketball this past season. The girls and their parents became avid Lady Raider fans in a matter of months. Here is the story of new fans and new friends, related by Ted Heers.)

Tech outlasts Texas 13-12
AUSTIN Shane Wright has never mixed words when it comes to being on the mound with the game on the line. On many occasions he's been there as a starter, but few times as a reliever.

More Raider football players get shot at NFL career
Former Texas Tech linebackers Kevin McCullar and Ty Ardoin have agreed to terms on free-agent contracts with the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants, respectively, family members of the two players said Monday.

Sheiks set sights on Derby title
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates {AP} Champion horses Aljabr and Worldly Manner boarded a flight Monday for the United States, where their Arab sheik owners are eyeing America's greatest racing title the Kentucky Derby.

Nebraska teammates claim honors
Nebraska first baseman Ken Harvey and pitcher Shane Komine were named the Big 12 baseball player and pitcher of the Week, respectively, for games played April 12-18.

LCU to put Hays' name on field
Lubbock Christian University will pay tribute to three generations of the L.D. Hays family today when Chaparral Stadium is renamed Hays Field in a ceremony prior to a 7 p.m. game against Hardin-Simmons.

Littlebitlively wins second Texas Mile in row
IRVING {AP} Littlebitlively held off a stretch run by 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Real Quiet on Sunday and won the $250,000 Texas Mile for the second consecutive year.

Carr, McIntire earn weekly SAC honors
Cory Carr from Lubbock Christian University and Bobby McIntire from Wayland Baptist on Monday were named Sooner Athletic Conference pitchers of the week.

Correction
Monterey sprinter Marcus Woodard's name was misspelled in Sunday's editions of The Avalanche-Journal.

Aggies edge Baylor, move into Big 12 lead
COLLEGE STATION {AP} Shawn Schumacher's two-run single in the bottom of the ninth Sunday lifted No. 5-ranked Texas A&M to an 11-10 victory against No. 7 Baylor as the Aggies wrested first place in the Big 12 away from the Bears.

OSU pitcher faces rape charge
STILLWATER, Okla. Police said a relationship that began over the Internet led to an Oklahoma State baseball player having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Four arrested in protest over pollution bill
AUSTIN {AP} State troopers arrested four people on a sidewalk in front of the Governor's Mansion on Monday as they protested Gov. George W. Bush's support for an air emissions reduction program they contend is too soft on polluters.

Annual party make few waves for Galveston
GALVESTON {AP} Between 125,000 and 150,000 visitors jamming Galveston Island wrapped up the annual Beach Party Weekend with few problems, considering their numbers, authorities said.

Lawyers told to settle over to settle over
AUSTIN {AP} Private lawyers in Texas' $17.3 billion settlement with tobacco companies should resolve any disputes over attorneys' fees themselves and not attempt to recover state money, former Attorney General Dan Morales said Monday.

Sudden cardiac death in men runs in families
DALLAS {AP} Men who lose a parent to sudden cardiac death are twice as likely as other men to meet the same fate, a new study found. And men who lose both parents to sudden heart death face a ninefold risk of dying the same way, researchers said.

Search begins for second missing child
IRVING {AP} Police have been using helicopters, night vision gear and dogs in their search for a 3-year-old girl whose mother reported her missing about noon Saturday.

Senate panel endorses $98 billion state budget
AUSTIN A more than $98.3 billion two-year state spending bill recommended Monday by the Senate Finance Committee funnels the biggest chunk of new money to education and, unlike the House's plan, gives state employees a pay raise.
On average, each employee would receive $850 per year.
Endorsed on an 11-0 vote, the bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. It totals about $1.36 billion more than the appropriations bill passed last week by the House.

Relatives say defendant was no racist
HOUSTON {AP} The second capital murder defendant in a black man's dragging death did not hate minorities and had an unremarkable upbringing in Northeast Texas, relatives and others say.

Parental notification bill reviewed
AUSTIN A Texas House panel was considering a bill late Monday that would require doctors to provide parents 48 hours notice before performing an abortion on an under-age girl unless a judge rules notification isn't required.

Historians query Yellow Rose motives
DALLAS {AP} According to legend, Gen. Sam Houston was able to surprise Santa Anna in the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, because the Mexican general was distracted at the time by an attractive woman who was sharing his bed.

Desecration reported in historic San Antonio cemeteries
SAN ANTONIO {AP} Harriette Burns noted the irony. For more than 100 years, a 4-foot-tall carved marble figure that had graced a pedestal over the grave of her great-grandfather, William Votaw, had survived the elements.

Italians vote to halt revolving door
ROME {AP} A referendum to change Italy's electoral system and make its revolving-door governments more stable failed to draw enough voters to be binding, final results show.

Yeltsin urges Clinton to end air strikes
MOSCOW {AP} In their first talks since the onset of the NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia, Russian President Boris Yeltsin conferred Monday with President Clinton. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan scheduled a peace mission to Moscow.

Secular tensions loom in Israeli election
JERUSALEM {AP} Divisions between religious and secular Jews are looming large in Israel's election campaign, with each side proclaiming nightmare visions of the life sought by the other.

Iraq drought may be worst in 50 years
BAGHDAD, Iraq {AP} U.N. relief organizations are working to alleviate the impact on Iraq of what could be the worst drought in 50 years, a senior U.N. official said Monday.

Yugoslavia pounded by NATO jets
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) NATO launched its most active day of air strikes Sunday in its assault on Yugoslavia, pummeling refineries, bridges and dozens of other targets in what it claimed were ''highly successful'' operations.
Air-raid sirens sounded early today in the Yugoslav capital and other major Serbian cities, warning of a 26th night of NATO strikes, aimed at making Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic halt his offensive in Kosovo and agree to a political settlement for the Serbian province.

Refugee exodus halted by Serb army
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) Yugoslavia slammed shut the main crossing point for ethnic Albanian refugees fleeing Kosovo, leaving uncertainty Monday about the fate of the tens of thousands aid officials had believed were on their way to the border.